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Tuesday, January 3, 2017

The Canadian Sampler - Meet the Designers - Sandy Whitelaw

The Canadian Sampler begins this week and we are thrilled to feature the wonderful designers who made this beautiful quilt!

Earlier this year we invited 20 amazing Canadian designers to each design a red and white quilt block to celebrate our great nation. The designers created a 12" red and white quilt block that expressed their love for our beautiful country. They made maple leaves and flying geese, star blocks and snowflakes, inuksuit and grain elevators. They drew inspiration from the seasons, the cities they live in, and the towns they visited. They showcased Canada's beauty, strength and rich heritage. They created blocks with great care and generosity and we are honoured to bring you their beautiful work.

Each month, members receive two block patterns. You can read about these talented designers and their inspiration for making the blocks here on our blog each month.

Sandy has always loved to craft. She's sewn, knit and crocheted for most of her life. She's dabbled in tole painting, jewelry making, scrapbooking, woodworking and has always loved photography.Sandy attempted her first quilt, a Quilt in a Day pattern in 1991 for her then 4 year old son. She finished the quilt when her son turned 25 - 21 years later! Her son loved the quilt and Sandy's quilting journey officially began.

Sandy loves everything about the quilt making process and quickly knew she wanted to be involved from the beginning to the end of making her own beautiful quilts. She purchased a good sewing machine and later her very own long-arm machine. Sandy now creates her own patterns, blogs about her work and hosts Block of the Month programs on her blog as well. She says, There is something so amazing about having an idea, creating the design and seeing your pattern brought to life in fabrics and colours, and almost 4 years later that love is only growing stronger.Sandy has been married to her best friend for 31 years. They have three wonderful children together. As families do, they have grown in the last few years to include a son-in-law and their first granddaughter.You can follow Sandy on her Blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Page. You can find her patterns here: UpStairs HobbyRoom DesignsInspiration for Keep'n Warm
You can't be Canadian and not own a toque! Most of my fondest memories as a kid involve our
Canadian winters with tobogganing, skating, shoveling the driveway with my siblings... and you can't do any of those without a toque!

3 comments:

Thank you so much. I was honoured to be asked to be a part of such a wonderful quilty way to celebrate such a momentus year for Canada and Canadians! I also want to say thank you for such a lovely post, that captured me so well!!